Loyola Stands Against Gun Violence

Lucia H. Garcia, MEd, MPH

Director of Student Affairs and Registration
Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health
Loyola University Chicago

Why are you involved in Loyola Stands?
I am involved in Loyola Stands because I firmly believe that it is my personal and professional calling to be a part of the solution to gun violence through advocacy, research, engagement, and activism. As a born and raised (and very proud!) Chicagoan, I have chosen to invest in my community. As a long-time employee of HSC Loyola in Maywood, I believe we share a responsibility to the community in which we work and serve. Loyola Stands provides us with the opportunity to collaborate with community leaders to be a part of the solution. I am proud to be a part of a growing interprofessional group that believes in health equity, social justice, and the right to a safe and healthy community. I continue to be inspired by the passionate group of clinicians, community leaders, students, faculty and staff from across the University, Medical Center, and Proviso that make up Loyola Stands. I am excited at the collective impact that we can make in our community!

Area of research or focus: My special interests and scholarly activity include gun-violence prevention, community engagement, student success, and global health education.

Sarah Foggy, BSN, RN, SANE-AA, TNCC-I TNS

Trauma Coordinator and SANE, Emergency Department
Loyola University Health System, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital

Why are you involved in Loyola Stands?
Being an emergency department nurse, I have a lot of interaction with people that have been affected by gun violence. It is important to provide a safe community for us all to live. I am interested in collaborating with community engaged groups to work towards decreasing gun violence.

Area of research or focus: Emergency department nurse, with expertise in trauma and sexual assault survivor patient care

Amy Luke, PhD

Department Chair and Professor
Public Health Sciences
Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health
Loyola University Chicago

My research has allowed me amazing opportunities to travel the world and meet exciting people, not just other researchers but the people in the field with whom I work. I have become a passionate ‘Africaphile’ as a result of my work here at Loyola. I have been fortunate to be engaged in some truly meaningful scientific work, but also some meaningful community work, especially during the days of the pandemic. My family is of paramount importance to me, and my colleagues come in a close second. Teaching the next generation of public health leaders is a truly enriching experience.

David Olson, PhD

Professor, Co-director
Center for Criminal Justice Research, Policy and Practice
Loyola University Chicago

Throughout my 35+ year career of conducting research, policy analysis and program evaluation in the field of criminal justice I have always sought to contribute to the development of effective policies and practices. I achieve this by conducing objective and rigorous research, and teaching students about the complexity of criminal justice policy and the effectiveness of different interventions. As co-Director of Loyola’s Center for Criminal Justice, I have sought out opportunities to collaborate with faculty, students and staff from across the University to address the complex factors that cause violence, particularly firearm violence. Loyola Stands provides a unique opportunity to achieve all of these goals: it provides a space for faculty, students and staff from across the diverse units of the University, and the communities Loyola serves, to come together and collaborate on the development and implementation of strategies to reduce firearm violence.

Nallely Mora MD, MPH, PMP

Research Assistant Professor/ Research Program Manager, Department of Public Health Sciences
Loyola University Chicago

Why are you involved in Loyola Stands?
To have an active role in our community and collaborate to find creative ways to address a serious public health problem, gun violence.

Area of research or focus: My academic focus has been centered on conducting cross-collaborative clinical and population-level research to improve patient outcomes, population health, and reduce health disparities. My Public health practice focuses in epidemiological methods, and the intersection of non-communicable diseases and infectious diseases. My interest implement and adapt evidence-based strategies focused on health disparities among groups with higher risk for disease burden, aiming to apply concepts on future research projects and dissemination of scientific knowledge to improve population health.

Yolanda Pham, MD

Stritch School of Medicine, Class of 2022
Loyola University Chicago

Why are you involved in Loyola Stands?
To partner with the Proviso community to advocate for gun violence prevention and promote health equity.

Area of research or focus: Public health, community partnerships